Peterborough

Peterborough's population expanded in the decade to 2011. At the same time there were changes in housing tenure, religion and ethnicity.

The population passed 180,000

In the 10 years leading up to the latest census, the population of Peterborough increased by 18%, from just over 156,000 to 184,000.

The addition of just under 28,000 people means this area's population was the fastest-growing in Eastof England and increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Peterborough was home to, on average, 3.8 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across Eastof England

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Eastof England, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Average age stable in Peterborough

Latest census data also show that the median age of Peterborough remained 35 years in the decade to 2011.

This suburban area had a lower average age than Eastof England and remained somewhat younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of about 6,500 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years.

About 15% of people in Peterborough are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Peterborough by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Peterborough that rented privately increased from 9.7% to 19% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just under one in five (20%) households lived in social housing, compared with 22% in 2001. The percentage of Peterborough households that owned their home decreased from 66% to 59%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased faster here than the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 8.6% in 2001 to 15% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Peterborough increased by 9.4 percentage points

Percentage of households in Peterborough, Eastof England and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Peterborough

The number of people in Peterborough that described themselves as Muslim increased from about 9,000 in 2001 to about 17,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 5.7% to 9.4% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across Eastof England (from 1.6% to 2.7%) and the average across England (from 3.2% to 5.2%).

The number of people in Peterborough that described themselves as Christian decreased from just under 110,000 in 2001 to just over 100,000 in 2011 (from 68% to 57%). The number of people who described themselves as having no religion increased from about 24,000 to about 45,000 (from 16% to 25%).

Just over 12,000 people (8.4%) did not state their religion, down from just over 13,000 in 2001 (6.7%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population who identified as Muslim in Peterborough increased by 3.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Peterborough by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Peterborough

The percentage of Peterborough residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 6.4% to 5.8% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just under 1 in 25 (3.8%) reported being limited a lot in their day-to-day activities, compared with 3.1% in 2001. The percentage of Peterborough residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 91% to 90%.

The proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 6.9% in 2001 to 6.8% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 6.8% to 6.5%.

The proportion of people who are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability was lower than across Eastof England

Percentage of usual residents that reported being slightly limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in Eastof England and the average across England, March 2011

Ethnicity in Peterborough

The number of people in Peterborough from the White ethnic groups decreased from about 140,000 in 2001 to just over 150,000 in 2011. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 90% to 83%.

The percentage decreased by more than the average across Eastof England (from 95% to 90%) and the average across England (from 91% to 85%).

The number of people in Peterborough from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from about 11,000 in 2001 to about 21,000 in 2011 (from 7.3% to 12%). The number of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from just under 2,300 to just over 4,900 (from 1.5% to 2.7%).

About 4,200 people (1.2%) said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, up from just over 1,900 in 2001 (2.3%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the White ethnic groups in Peterborough decreased by 7.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Peterborough by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

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